Aquae Sulis
Aquae Sulis was a Roman city in the province of Britannia ( Britain ) on the site of present-day Bath in the county of Somerset , England . The place achieved national importance mainly because of its hot springs and an associated sanctuary of the goddess Sulis . During excavations, parts of the Roman thermal baths and the Sulis temple area were uncovered. They are among the best-documented buildings in Roman Britain.
The name
The place appears with different names in ancient sources. Ptolemy names three places in the Belgae area in which the place was located; below that is Aquae Calidae (Hot Spring Spa) which must be Bath. He also mentions Venta , the main town of the civitas and a previously unidentified place called Iscalis . In the Antonine Itinerary , the city will Aquis Solis called. This is probably a prescription from Aquae Sulis (health resort of the goddess Sulis).
location
Aquae Sulis was in the Avon Valley at the point where the river flows through the Cotswold Mountains. The city is located on a small headland, which is surrounded on three sides by the river, which forms a loop here. Through the headland there is a kind of plateau, while in the north and south the mountains of the region rise quite sharply. There are three hot springs on the headland, the only ones in the British Isles. The Fosse Way , an important road over the Avon , also flows out at Aquae Sulis . Another road leads to the Poole Harbor area .
history
It is not known whether the springs were used in pre-Roman times, as the Romans built over the springs to such an extent that any remains would have completely disappeared. The area in which the city is located came under Roman rule in the years 44 to 45 AD. In AD 47, under the command of Aulus Plautius, the border on the later Fosse Way was established west of the city. Fortresses were built on the border. Such is to be expected at Bath, but has not yet been identified with certainty. From Aquae Sulis, however, there are gravestones of soldiers of the Legio XX , which may be classified before 60 AD. On them, the Legion is not titled as Valeria Victrix , which suggests a date before the Boudicca uprising , as it probably got its nickname because of its services there. But there may be other reasons as well.
The place certainly experienced a significant boom under the Flavian emperors. The bath in the center of the city, the temple area of Sulis Minerva and perhaps a theater have now been built. The town had its heyday in the second and third centuries. The bath and the temple were rebuilt and expanded several times. Visitors came from many parts of the western half of the empire. A certain Perengrinus came from Trier and a certain Rusonia Aventina from Metz, to name just two examples.
The actual residential town was north of the center, while the area directly around the bath and the temple seems to have been undeveloped. This area was probably later walled. There is hardly any evidence of residential buildings within the walled area and they were only built since the third century. Numerous mosaics and the many inscribed tombstones and consecration stones testify to a prosperity that is otherwise hardly documented for such a small community in Britain. The city is mentioned with some certainty by the ancient writer Solinus , even if he does not name it. According to Solinus, of whom a description of various curiosities in the Roman Empire is attested, there were hot springs in Britain that were luxuriously equipped. Minerva watches over the springs and in her temple there is an everlasting fire that never turns to ashes, but when the flames go they will turn to stone.
The Roman city
Already in the middle of the first century AD, with the beginning of the rule of the Romans, they seem to have found a special interest in the place. A military camp was probably built, but no architectural remains have been found. Only weapons, coins, but also tombstones indicate this. The springs were expanded into a monumental bath under Roman rule. The main spring was walled and the water channeled. A large settlement with an urban character emerged. The walled urban area was about 9.5 hectares. Outside the city wall, however, there were still extensive suburbs with substantial residential development.
The bathroom
At the end of the first century a large bath house was built, some of which is still well preserved today. It was expanded and renovated over time and was likely to be in use until the early 5th century. A total of five construction phases can be distinguished. The center of the thermal baths was a large pool clad with lead. The basin was surrounded by pillars. To the east and west of it there was a smaller water basin as well as smaller rooms for changing clothes or for other purposes.
Even in the first phase of construction, the bathroom was built from large, massive stones, as it is hardly otherwise attested in Britain. The central hall was oriented roughly east-west and was 33.2 meters long and 20.4 meters wide. The pool in the middle was 22 meters long, 8.8 meters wide and 1.5 meters below ground level. The sides of the pool were stepped on all sides. The whole pool was covered with lead plates about one to two centimeters thick. The long sides had arcades with eight columns each. The water supply was in the west via a lead pipe that connected the basin directly to the spring next to it. In a second construction phase, the eastern part of the building was considerably expanded, a round swimming pool was installed in the Figidarium and the entire area in the south-west of the pool was expanded. The water pipe was also relocated. The date of these modifications is uncertain. It's not even clear if they happened at the same time or if they weren't actually several phases of construction. The almost identical masonry of these conversions, however, indicates a major reconstruction.
A third construction phase dates from the turn of the second to the third century. Parts of the bath were expanded, but above all the hall of the large bath was given a barrel vault, which replaced the old wooden roof, which must have been a hundred years old at that time. In a fourth construction phase, the eastern part of the bath in particular was completely rebuilt. Several halls with hypocausts were built, which were also decorated with mosaics.
The source
The largest hot spring was built in Roman times and fortified with a wall. A hall was then built over it. A drain led the water into the main basin of the bath built next to it. Another outflow flows into the nearby river. The ceiling of the hall was vaulted, with parts of the vaulted masonry found after the collapse of the hall during excavations in the spring. The source was certainly considered sacred too. Here visitors to the bath could communicate with Sulis Minerva. Surely for this reason, many of them threw messages and objects into the source. Heavy objects immediately sank to the bottom of the spring, and lighter objects were often washed through the sewers. During the excavations in 1878, thousands of these consecration offerings were found. These include valuable pieces such as a gold earring or a pouch that contained 33 finely cut gems . Noteworthy is a tin mask that was once mounted on a wooden board and must have swum on the surface of the water. There were several metal vessels and more than ten thousand coins, including many made of silver and four of gold. Also of particular interest are numerous pewter plaques on which prayers and wishes are engraved. Here the visitors to the source spoke directly to Sulis Minerva.
The Sulis Minerva Temple
To the north of the bath and connected to it, there was a large temple in the classical style. Since there were few classical style temples in Britain, this one is of particular interest. The temple was dedicated to the Celtic deity Sulis (who in turn was equated with Minerva ), who was the patron deity of the springs.
The temple stood on a podium that was once maybe 1.80 meters high, but was only about 1.20 meters high when excavated. It was once about 10 meters wide and 20 meters long. The front was oriented to the east. There were four pillars here, which were reached via a large flight of stairs. The columns had Corinthian capitals, one of which has survived. The well-preserved pediment of the actual temple shows a gorgon on a round shield. The shield is framed by a floral pattern. Gorgons are actually female beings in classical mythology. However, this clearly depicts a man with a full beard.
The shield is in turn flanked by two Victorias that stand on globes. A helmet can be found between the shield and the Victoria. One helmet is shaped like a dolphin head, the other helmet is shaped like an owl. Both animals are symbols of Minerva.
Shrines were later erected on both sides of the stairs, so that the classic impression of the building was lost. The temple was surrounded by a wall and in turn stood in an area also enclosed by a wall. In the south, part of the bathing facilities with a round water basin extended into the temple area.
The head of a gilded bronze statue that was found here during excavations in the 18th century may even have belonged to the cult statue.
The temple stood within a walled area that was 55 × 74 meters in size and had colonnades.
Facade of the four seasons
During the excavations in Bath, fragments and blocks of structures were also found, the former location of which is unknown. This includes the facade of the four seasons . Fourteen blocks were found in 1790, another in 1895, two in 1968 and two more fragments in 1982. The facade was probably decorated with a series of six fluted pilasters that followed the Tuscan order . There were two niches between the pillars. In the upper niche there was a depiction of an erote, each with the attributes of a season. Spring holds flowers, summer an ear of corn, autumn fruits and winter a hip to cut firewood. The lower niche was crowned with a shell and showed a life-size figure. Only the figure and the erotic spring has been preserved and shows a woman in a long robe. She seems to be holding something over her shoulder. Perhaps it also represents a season. There was an inscription directly above each of the erotes. Only the one about spring is partially preserved: C. Protacius ... deae Sulis Minervae in German: Gaius Protacius ... the goddess Sulis Minerva . There was a longer inscription above the pillars, but only part of it has been preserved. Above it was finally a triangular gable with the bust of Luna in the center. The former location of the monument is not certain. It may have stood within the Sulis temple precinct. Most of the fragments were found here.
Often only individual stone blocks were found of other buildings or monuments that were probably in the temple district. Below is a relief with a dog and the remains of a human figure, certainly depicting Diana hunting. The quality of the relief is very high. During excavations from 1981 to 1983 it was found rebuilt as a floor paving, so that nothing can be said about the original connection at the moment.
More bathrooms
In the southwest of the city, close to the city wall, the remains of other thermal baths were excavated between 1864 and 1866. There are also hot springs here that were obviously used in ancient times. Only parts of the building have been excavated, so the general character of the building remains unclear. A corner of a lead-clad basin was found to the north. To the south there is a building with an apse and rooms that have hypocausts.
More buildings
From a round building there were only four characteristic rounded components, which are richly decorated with architectural ornamentation on both sides. The former function is uncertain. The parts were found in the bathroom and may have been part of it, but could also have been abducted. Perhaps it is even the remains of a tholo temple . It is believed that it was built under Hadrian , who visited Britain in 122.
There was perhaps a theater a little north of the Sulis-Minerva Temple, but very few remains have been excavated. The terrain here forms a slope that would be particularly suitable for a theater.
The center of the city was surrounded by a wall. Remains of another bathroom and the remains of residential buildings were found within the wall. In the first century this consisted mostly of wooden structures, but was replaced by stone structures in the second century. Accommodation for pilgrims and outside visitors can be expected, but little research has been done here. After all, mosaics prove the city's wealth. It experienced its greatest heyday in the fourth century. So far, 15 mosaics or remains of them have been found. They are mostly geometric mosaics that often came to light during construction work and are therefore partly only known from old descriptions. One of the earliest better documented soils was discovered in 1738 when the Mineral Water Hospital was built . The findings were relatively well documented for this time. The mosaic shows interlocking circles. Another mosaic was found here later, showing stylized flowers within octagons. A mosaic at Abbey Green was unearthed when a cellar was being expanded in 1981 and dates back to the second century. Larger floors were found at the Royal United Hospital in 1864 and at Weymouth House School in 1897 . They are all geometric mosaics. Three more remains were found in the bathroom and adorned the apses and a passage. A floor found during the construction of the Blue Coat School in 1859 shows three marine animals. It is a dolphin, a sea horse and a sea cat (mythical creatures, mixture of cat and fish). So far it is the only mosaic in the city with figurative representations. The area inside the walls in particular was densely built up at the time.
Outside the city walls there are other extensive remains of Roman buildings. There were richly furnished residential buildings along the streets. Workshops were also suspected here.
Inscriptions
Numerous inscriptions come from the city that prove its supra-regional importance. The earliest inscriptions are tombstones of soldiers who were stationed in the suspected camp here. Lucius Vitellius Tancinus was z. B. a Spanish horseman who died at the age of 46.
Many of the inscriptions are from pilgrims who visited the springs and the sanctuary. Among them is the inscription of Sulinus , a sculptor. A particularly large number of names were found on lead tablets that were thrown into the springs and bear dedicatory inscriptions.
Gaius Calpurnius Receptus, who was the priest of the Sulis, is also known from a tombstone. He was 75 years old. He is the only priest of the goddess known by name. His wife Calpirnia Trifosa consecrated the tombstone. She was originally his slave. Another temple employee was Lucius Marcius Memor, known from an inscribed statue base, who was Haruspex . He was a fortune teller.
More finds
In 2012, an archaeological dig near the baths discovered a treasure of 30,000 silver coins, one of the largest finds of Roman coins in the United Kingdom.
Transition to the Middle Ages
In the fourth century the Avon repeatedly overflowed its banks and flooded parts of the city. The bath complex was particularly affected. The floor of the temple precinct was covered with sand and debris from other parts of the city. Nevertheless, there still seems to have been a settlement. The conquest of the city by the Anglo-Saxons is not reported until 577 .
literature
- Barry Cunliffe : Roman Bath (= Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London. No. 24, ISSN 0953-7163 ). The Society of Antiquaries of London, Oxford 1969.
- Barry Cunliffe: Roman Bath discovered. Revised edition. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London et al. 1984, ISBN 0-7102-0196-6 .
- Peter Leach: Roman Somerset. Dovecote Press, Wimborne 2001, ISBN 1-874336-93-8 , pp. 34-52.
- Stephen R. Cosh, David S. Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain. Volume 2: South-West Britain. Illuminata Publishers for the Society of Antiquaries of London, London 2005, ISBN 0-9547916-1-4 , pp. 186-192.
Web links
- Aquae Sulis. In: Roman-Britain.org. Retrieved July 28, 2009 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath. Pp. 1-2.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath. P. 3.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath, discovered. Pp. 64-83.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath. Pp. 10-11.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath, discovered. Pp. 84-88.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath, discovered. Pp. 90-91.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath, discovered. Pp. 154-157.
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath. Pp. 120-121.
- ↑ Leach: Roman Somerset. P. 45.
- ^ Cosh, Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume II. P. 190, No. 188.7.
- ^ Cosh, Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume II. P. 191, No. 188.10.
- ^ Cosh, Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume II. P. 189, No. 188.2
- ^ Cosh, Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume II. Pp. 192–193, No. 188.1, 16.
- ^ Cosh, Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume II. Pp. 188-189, No. 188.3-5.
- ^ Cosh, Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain, Volume II. P. 189, no. 188.6.
- ^ RIB 159 .
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath, discovered. Pp. 182-183; RIB 155 .
- ^ Cunliffe: Roman Bath, discovered. P. 183.
- ^ Hoard of 30,000 silver Roman coins discovered in Bath . In: The Daily Telegraph , March 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
Coordinates: 51 ° 22 ′ 51.2 " N , 2 ° 21 ′ 34.7" W.